Future sibling names aren’t always top-of-mind when we’re naming a child. But they matter. After all, when we decided to call our daughter Clio, we forever closed the door on another favorite name – Theodore, nickname Theo.
Or did we?
For every family that decides Maya and Milo are too similar, another embraces the sound-alike names.
Or insists that Alicia and Alina are totally different names.
Some parents might never notice that Joanna and Jackson are both related to John.
Or maybe the first time Kelly introduces her daughter Grace, she suddenly realizes that the legendary Grace Kelly is echoed in their names.
Siblings’ names will be said together countless times. The names we like often have much in common.
So how can you tell if your sibling name choices make for a compatible set, or if they’re much too close?
There are no hard-and-fast rules, but here are ten factors to consider. They start mild, maybe-rethink-this kind of considerations. As we reach the top of the list? By #3, it’s best to think long and hard about your choice.
Table of Contents
- 10. The names share the same meaning.
- 9. The names share the same origins.
- 8. You’ve neglected 25 letters of the alphabet.
- 7. The sibling names are (romantically) linked in history or pop culture.
- 6. Your choices can lead to same nickname.
- 5. Your favorite sibling names share the same ending.
- 4. They nest like Russian matryoshka dolls.
- 3. They share the same first syllable.
- 2. The names rhyme.
- 1. A combination of the above.
- So should you choose a different name?
10. The names share the same meaning.
This can be a subtle way to link siblings’ names. Think Lucy and Claire. One means light; the other, clear. Felix and Asher both mean happy.
Sometimes the challenge comes when your family of two ends up a family of four or five or more. Your first two are the nicely paired Hazel and Ivy, but after using Olive and Jade, your choices for #5 narrow to Loden, Fern, and Moss.
It’s not necessarily a problem, but it might feel limiting as your family grows.
9. The names share the same origins.
Name enthusiasts know that Jacob and James are related. A popular combination for twin girls is Isabella and Elizabeth – two forms of the same name, even if it’s not quite like choosing Mary Anne and Marianne.
Origins aside, Jack and Sean make for a compatible pair of brothers’ names. And Charles and Caroline seem different enough to be worn without incident.
Daniel and Danielle, however, probably feel too close. Partially, it’s the shared origin. But the name also check a lot of boxes further up this list.
8. You’ve neglected 25 letters of the alphabet.
Sometimes this is unintentional. You’re naming your sons after their grandfathers – Michael and Matthew. Or you just happen to like the names Josie and Jude.
But let’s say you choose a letter with fewer options.
I remember hearing about a family with four sons – Henry, Heath, Hugo and Hatrick. Are they ice hockey fans, or was Harvey not their style?
And if you’re on the second generation sharing the same initial for sibling names, your options might be very limited.
7. The sibling names are (romantically) linked in history or pop culture.
If the movie was a bust, or we’re talking minor comic book characters, this matters not at all.
(You can safely ignore “But Sami named her twins John and Alice on Days of Our Lives.”)
Some combinations might appeal because of their shared connections. Imagine daughters named for two Jane Austen heroines, as in Emma and Elinor.
Then there’s Gillian Anderson’s threesome – Piper, Oscar, and Felix. Her kids might not know The Odd Couple, and it’s not a negative reference, either – so that’s probably a non-issue.
Some do feel truly unthinkable – siblings named Romeo and Juliet, maybe. The biggest challenge for overly matched sibling names? Probably famous romantic partners. Albert’s sister can’t be Victoria, and if your favorite name for a girl is Bonnie, strike Clyde from your boy’s list forever.
Though, of course, it can happen after the fact – in which case, all you can do is laugh and promise that, no, the Twilight novels didn’t inspire you to name your children Jacob and Bella twenty years ago.
6. Your choices can lead to same nickname.
Sure, you never intend to call Katherine or Kaitlyn by the nickname Katie. But it could easily happen. And how will their sister Annie feel about having an unrelated name?
Not every set of names that shares a nickname feels too close. Amelia and Marianna could both shorten to Mia. Alexander and Natasha might both go by Sasha.
This rule about sibling names mostly applies to the obvious short forms. Bennett and Benjamin, for example.
The harder you have to think about it, the less it becomes a concern.
5. Your favorite sibling names share the same ending.
If you like Isabel, you might also like Annabel.
Ditto names like Parker, Carter, and Harper.
But sharing the same ending is another sign that your favorites might be too close for comfort. In this case, it might not bother your children … but it could make repeating their names together a tongue-twister.
4. They nest like Russian matryoshka dolls.
Does one name fit neatly inside the other? Annika and Julian share an “an” but it isn’t at all obvious.
But Ella and Kellen almost sound like they’re part of the other.
In cases like Anna and Susanna, one sibling’s name is an elaboration of the other.
That can be a little too close for sibling names.
3. They share the same first syllable.
With #10 through #4, it is easy enough to come up with examples that work, despite being close in some ways.
But #3 is tougher to navigate for sibling names.
Imagine sisters named Madeline and Madison? A brother-sister pair called Jordan and Georgia? Twins Miley and Myla?
They’re not impossible, and some cultures prefer sibling names that are as close as possible. But for most families, these feel repetitive.
2. The names rhyme.
Yes, there have surely been twin sisters called Cara and Tara. But most parents – and siblings – would find it a bit too matched.
And yet, this is trickier than it sounds. Timothy and James, Jeffrey and Stephanie and, of course, Benjamin and Jennifer all end up rhyming if you use the most common diminutives.
That means we rule out Emma and Gemma, Hallie and Callie, but also maybe Jonah and Rowan – unless we’re confident they’ll never be called Joe and Row.
1. A combination of the above.
Jackson and Jonathan are close, but probably on the right side of the line. Jack and Sean? Probably fine. Jack and John, though? That inches even closer to the line.
Jeffrey and Stephanie seem less problematic than Benjamin and Jennifer – because the nicknames rhyme and we think of them as a matched pair.
Sarah and Laura are pretty similar as sibling names, but Laura and Maura feel like they cross a line.
So should you choose a different name?
Ultimately, choosing sibling names is completely up to the parents. In most cases, thinking through whether a name is too close is subjective. For everyone who insists that Remy and Romy are way too similar, there’s a family that finds those names exactly right.
This is about testing out your favorites and anticipating problems before you’re holding your newborn in your arms.
What choices have you had to reject because they’re just too close to your an older child’s name?
First published on December 10, 2009, this post was revised and re-published on January 19, 2022 and again on September 7, 2025.
Hi there,
My baby girl is about to make her appearance. I have been pouring over websites – especially this one for ideas and advice. While we have many names that are options, it is particularly difficult since we live in France and I am American. The name are limited in how the French (mis) pronounce many otherwise incredible names. I know that you love French names – and I love some, but in contrast to naming a kid a unique French name in the USA is that that same name is abundantly cliche here.
ANYWAY, on this topic I am wondering:
Is Sabine (existing daughter) and Serena (potential sister name) too similar????
Thanks for your advice in advance!
-Nicole
Congrats on baby #2! I think my question would be this: do you think you’ll have more children? Sabine and Serena strike me as very matchy, but not impossible. But if you’re planning on a big family, and are likely to face the same constraints when naming a third child, then two similar names might put you in a really tight place. If you’re fairly confident that #2 is your last, then I think I’d use Serena without hesitation. If you’re planning on a big family, I think it is best to keep looking. Have you ever picked out a boys’ name? Or are there other names on your shortlist?
Well, I never did get around to responding as the NEXT day my little girl arrived on the scene! We did not name her Serena… for many reasons, one of which was that she simply didn’t look like a Serena. Still LOVE the name though 🙂
They only allow THREE short days in which to name a baby in France. Most French parents have already decided the baby name before the birth. If you do not name your baby in that time, it is a huge cost/time expense and your child will not be registered under the medical care.
Anyway, we totally freaked out after seeing her because it was obvious, aside from the matchy matchy that this girl was no Serena. ANyway, the French absolutely sabotage the name by pronouncing it “Ser-enna”.
Okay so we decided the LAST hour, spontaneously almost to go with Leonora. We call her Leo and even though I am still not convinced that I even really LIKE the name, it suits her to a T. I feel the same way about Sabine. Not crazy about the name, but she IS a Sabine. It helps me to remember that they are their own and not mine. If that makes sense.
Little Leo is an absolute doll and is napping, and so should I be. G’night and thanks again. I love this website and would love to see an entry on Leonora and Sabine if you ever have the inclination.
Wow – that’s some pressure to name your child in France. We sort of have the same rule in the US … you’re supposed to name your child before you leave the hospital. But some of it varies by state, and I’m not sure how it works for homebirths. (Anyone know?)
Congrats on your daughter! Leonora is lovely, and the nn Leo is great for a girl. (But as the mother of a Clio, I’m biased.)
I know this is old, but I’ve done several homebirths. It does vary by state, but where we are you have 10 days to file the birth certificate paperwork with the department of vital statistics. That’s true regardless of where the birth takes place BUT the mother’s paperwork and the doctor or midwife’s paperwork have to be turned in together, so that’s why hospitals want it before you check out.
Mandie L, thanks – that’s helpful to know.
My husband has cousins named Paul, Paula and Linda. This seems so awkward to me in multiple ways!
I don’t know if it’s just my computer, but the list doesn’t show up. If it is just my computer, then sorry to bother you with it, but maybe there’s a problem with your server or something.
It’s not you, it’s me – when I moved web hosts, some of the posts were splinched. Thanks for noting this one – it is now repaired!
So I know I’m late to this party… but I have a big problem with -au, -or, and -lie sounds.
I love Charlie and Coralie and Annelie. I love August and Aurla. Aurla and Lorelei. Cora, Nora and Honora.
I’m working around this, though it is hard. I just have specific sounds my ears are drawn to!
Charlie is my number one name of all time, so Coralie is definitely out. But are Annelie and Lorelei possible? What about Carolina, nn Cora, even though she comes from the same origin as Charlie?
What about Lorelei and Aurla or Aura? Is that too obvious that I that I still hold onto some childhood enchantment from my mother’s name: Laura?
Fun article and thread! :). I just have to add that my grandfather (Howard) had twin brothers named Homer and Omer. I’ve played around on ancestry’s website, and it’s funny to me that all the other people researching this family presume Omer is a typo, since they find both names on the same birthdate, and Omer gets left out of their family trees! They must all look at the info in front of them and think, “THAT has to be a mistake!”
Really, I think matchy names (Madeline/Maddie & Matthew/Mattie, Jim/Tim/Tom, etc.) are kind of dull and lack creativity, if not confusing at best. I have neighbors whose daughters names are Shelby and Kelly, and did I mention mom’s name was Shelly? I can never remember who’s who. Though, I guess sometimes we just like certain types of names and don’t realize the damage until the deed’s done.
In my family,my father’s middle name is his mother’s maiden name William stowell diver and my parents continued this pattern with my brother William Shepherd diver. When my nephew came along the considered continuing the pattern but his mom’s maiden name was oeh so instead they stuck with the william s. diver pattern, using sterling as the middle name. some friends are teri and jay and they named the kids jill, tate,and jordan
My son is Jonathan and gies by Johnny right now. We have a girl on the way and really liked Jocelyn, but it is just too similar, as is Josie which we might have used.
My husband and his twin brother are Shane an Shawn and the have the same middle initial. Too close! I recenly filled a prescription for my husband and the pharmacist pulled up his brothers records instead. Similar name, same date of birth, middle initial. Didn’t catch the error until later.
I feel pretty late on this one, but I had to add my family. I was first, and my mom picked names she loved and would give me one of each parent’s initials- Jennifer Mariska (Jennifer of course being number one at the time, but I never minded sharing). The following year they had Jonathan Michael, same pattern for the same reason.
The real Problem? Jan (mom), Jen, and Jon all under the same roof. Mostly confusing if being yelled at from a long distance or if the speaker is mumbling.
I grew up next door to a Jennifer, younger brothers James and Jonathan – Jen, Jim, Jon – same problem! 🙂
Okay, are Owen and Caelin too close? We’re expecting baby no. 4. If he’s a boy, the only name we like so far is Caelin. (Owen is baby no. 3.) We’re pretty decided on a name that begins with C – in memory of someone we love who died.
Thanks for this great website!
You’re welcome, Jeannine. Thanks for reading!
I don’t think Owen and Caelin are too close. Owen and Cohen, yes. Owen and Caelin are similar in style, but don’t seem at all close in pronunciation.
Congratulations on baby #4!
So funny that I am here again. Baby 4 was a girl (Cecilia).
Baby 5 is Lucien, which is also close to Owen! He was adopted, and the name given by his orphanage was pronounced “Lu-shin”. We liked Lucien, and decided to overlook the potential matchy-matchy sound. (O likes to tell me that Lucien + Owen = lotion. Owen + Lucien = ocean …. !)
We’re traveling to adopt baby 6 in a few weeks. She is older, so it seems unfair to change her name. We will keep her existing name in the middle spot, and we will use it (at least at the beginning). Adopted kids often grow up and want “western” sounding names, though. We struggled until the day the paperwork was due, and finally settled on Gwenn. (The G is in memory of my father.) Owen loves that his new sister will have a similar looking name. I actually think that Owen and Gwenn sound different enough, at least the way I pronounce them. Ha!
Which leads me to wonder: Have you written a piece on naming adopted kids? Don’t know if there would be interest in that, but it’s obviously something near to my heart. I’d be happy to write one or collaborate on one
Hi Jeannine – Congratulations on your new daughter! I would love, love, love your help writing about the complexities of naming adopted children! I’ve spoken to parents about it, but since I’ve never gone through it personally, I hesitate to dive in. (The only family I’ve ever helped was adopting an infant at birth, so the questions seemed less difficult.) I’ll send a message to your gmail. Best, Abby